Qualcuno era...

Someone was...

Qualcuno era...

Someone was a communist because they were born in EmiliaQualcuno era comunista perché era nato in Emilia
Someone was a communist because their grandfatherQualcuno era comunista perché il nonno
The uncle, the father. Not the motherLo zio, il papà. La mamma no

Someone was a communist because they sawQualcuno era comunista perché vedeva
Russia as a promiseLa Russia come una promessa
China as a poem, communism as earthly paradiseLa Cina come una poesia, il comunismo come il paradiso terrestre
Someone was a communist because they felt aloneQualcuno era comunista perché si sentiva solo

Someone was a communist because they hadQualcuno era comunista perché aveva avuto
A too Catholic education. (ah there ah there ah there ah)Una educazione troppo cattolica. (ahí ahí ahí ahí)
Someone was a communist because cinema demanded itQualcuno era comunista perché il cinema lo esigeva
Theater demanded it, painting demanded itIl teatro lo esigeva, la pittura lo esigeva
Literature too, everyone demanded itLa letteratura anche, lo esigevano tutti

Someone was a communist because they were toldQualcuno era comunista perché glielo avevano detto
Someone was a communist because they weren't told everythingQualcuno era comunista perché non gli avevano detto tutto
Someone was a communist because before, before, before, they were fascistQualcuno era comunista perché prima, prima, prima, era fascista

Someone was a communist because they understoodQualcuno era comunista perché aveva capito
That Russia was slow, but farChe la Russia andava piano, ma lontano
Someone was a communist because Berlinguer was a good personQualcuno era comunista perché Berlinguer era una brava persona
Someone was a communist because Andreotti was not a good personQualcuno era comunista perché Andreotti non era una brava persona
Someone was a communist because they were rich but loved the peopleQualcuno era comunista perché era ricco ma amava il popolo

Someone was a communist because they drank wineQualcuno era comunista perché beveva il vino
And were moved by popular festivalsE si commuoveva alle feste popolari
Someone was a communist because they were soQualcuno era comunista perché era così
Atheist that they needed another GodAteo che aveva bisogno di un altro Dio
Someone was a communist because they were soQualcuno era comunista perché era talmente
Fascinated by the workers that they wanted to be one of themAffascinato dagli operai che voleva essere uno di loro

Someone was a communist because they couldn't stand being a worker anymoreQualcuno era comunista perché non ne poteva più di fare l'operaio
Someone was a communist because they wanted a salary increaseQualcuno era comunista perché voleva l'aumento di stipendio
Someone was a communist because the revolution today no, tomorrow maybeQualcuno era comunista perché la rivoluzione oggi no, domani forse
But the day after tomorrow for sureMa dopodomani sicuramente
Someone was a communist because, the bourgeoisieQualcuno era comunista perché, la borghesia
The proletariat, the class struggle, damnIl proletariato, la lotta di classe, cazzo

Someone was a communist to anger their fatherQualcuno era comunista per fare rabbia a suo padre
Someone was a communist because they only watched Rai 3Qualcuno era comunista perché guardava solo Rai 3
Someone was a communist for fashion, someone on principleQualcuno era comunista per moda, qualcuno per principio
Someone out of frustrationQualcuno per frustrazione
Someone was a communist because they wanted to nationalize everything, damnQualcuno era comunista perché voleva statalizzare tutto, minchia

Someone was a communist because they didn't know the state employeesQualcuno era comunista perché non conosceva gli impiegati statali
Parastatal and the likeParastatali e affini
Someone was a communist because they hadQualcuno era comunista perché aveva
Mistaken dialectical materialism for the gospel according to LeninScambiato il materialismo dialettico per il vangelo secondo Lenin
Someone was a communist because they were convincedQualcuno era comunista perché era convinto
They had the working class behind themDi avere dietro di sé la classe operaia
Or damnO cazzo

Someone was a communist because they were more communist than othersQualcuno era comunista perché era più comunista degli altri
Someone was a communist because there was the great communist partyQualcuno era comunista perché c'era il grande partito comunista
Someone was a communist despite the great communist partyQualcuno era comunista malgrado ci fosse il grande partito comunista
Someone was a communist because there was nothing betterQualcuno era comunista perché non c'era niente di meglio

Someone was a communist because we hadQualcuno era comunista perché abbiamo avuto
The worst socialist party in EuropeIl peggior partito socialista d'Europa
Someone was a communist because the stateQualcuno era comunista perché lo stato
Worse than ours, only UgandaPeggio che da noi, solo l’Uganda
Someone was a communist because they couldn't take it anymoreQualcuno era comunista perché non ne
Of forty years of incapable and mafia-democratic governmentsPoteva più di quarant'anni di governi democristiani incapaci e mafiosi

Someone was a communist because of Piazza FontanaQualcuno era comunista perché Piazza Fontana
Brescia, the Bologna station, the ItalicusBrescia, la stazione di Bologna, l'Italicus
Ustica etcetera etcetera etceteraUstica eccetera eccetera eccetera
Someone was a communist because whoever was against was a communistQualcuno era comunista perché chi era contro era comunista
Someone was a communist because they couldn't standQualcuno era comunista perché non sopportava
That dirty thing we insist on calling democracyPiù quella cosa sporca che ci ostiniamo a chiamare democrazia

Someone believed they were a communist, and maybe they were something elseQualcuno credeva di essere comunista, e forse era qualcos'altro
Someone was a communist because they dreamedQualcuno era comunista perché sognava
Of a freedom different from the American oneUna libertà diversa da quella americana
Someone was a communist because they believedQualcuno era comunista perché credeva
They could only be alive and happy if others were tooDi poter essere vivo e felice, solo se lo erano anche gli altri

Someone was a communist because they neededQualcuno era comunista perché aveva bisogno
A push towards something newDi una spinta verso qualcosa di nuovo
Because they felt the need for a different moralityPerché sentiva la necessità di una morale diversa
Because maybe it was just a force, a flightPerché forse era solo una forza, un volo
A dream, it was just a leapUn sogno, era solo uno slancio
A desire to change thingsUn desiderio di cambiare le cose
To change lifeDi cambiare la vita

Yes, someone was a communist because with this leap besideSì, qualcuno era comunista perché con accanto
Everyone was like, more than themselvesQuesto slancio ognuno era come, più di sé stesso
It was like two people in oneEra come due persone in una
On one side the personal daily struggle and on the otherDa una parte la personale fatica quotidiana e dall'altra
The sense of belonging to a race, wanting to take flightIl senso di appartenenza a una razza, che voleva spiccare il volo
To truly change lifePer cambiare veramente la vita
No, no regretsNo, niente rimpianti

Perhaps even then many had spread their wingsForse anche allora molti, avevano aperto le ali
Without being able to fly, like hypothetical seagullsSenza essere capaci di volare, come dei gabbiani ipotetici
And now?E ora?

Even now, one feels like in twoAnche ora, ci si sente come in due
On one side the inserted man who crossesDa una parte l'uomo inserito che attraversa
Obediently the squalor of their own daily survivalOssequiosamente lo squallore della propria sopravvivenza quotidiana
And on the other, the seagull without evenE dall'altra, il gabbiano senza più neanche
The intention of flight anymore, because now the dream has shriveledL'intenzione del volo, perché ormai il sogno si è rattrappito
Two miseries in one bodyDue miserie in un corpo solo